In conjunction with the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Bonhams is putting up an auction for a variety of old classic cars that will fetch a pretty penny on the auction block. They’ve set up auctions at a variety of motoring events across Europe over the past few months, and the Festival of Speed in June will see yet another showcase of amazing classics in amazing conditions.
This time, the start of the show is said to be an Aston Martin Ulster ‘LM19’. The LM series of pre-war Aston Martin Works Team Cars were individually numbered from LM1 to LM23. As the initials indicate, they were produced to challenge the world’s best in the prestigious annual Le Mans 24-hour race.
The first team cars (LM1 and LM2) faced the challenge of Le Mans in 1928, and over the next seven years the LM series developed impressively. By 1935, with several Le Mans tries under their belts, this series of now much-coveted Aston Martin Works Team sports cars produced four very special LMs, commonly regarded as being some of the very best of all pre-war sports cars. Of these four cars, three – LM18, 19, and 20 – were built to compete in the prestigious and intensely gruelling Le Mans 24-hour ‘Grand Prix d’Endurance’ in France.
Aston Martin LM19 then had an eventful race. With Thomas Fothringham at the wheel it was running very strongly and disputing the class lead, but after an intense nine hours it sadly crashed, leaving its sister Works entry, LM20, to soldier on, finish third overall, and win for Aston Martin the coveted Biennial Cup.
LM19 was then re-built by the Works and taken to Ards public-road circuit in Northern Ireland, for that year’s Tourist Trophy Race. In 1936 this Works Team Aston Martin was then sent to Italy to compete in the legendary Mille Miglia, the thousand-mile road race. Despite putting on a great performance in both races, this LM19 fell short of victory, usually by a stroke of bad luck. But for now, the car has been rebuilt and is looking for a new owner to care for it and drive it as it used to be driven.
